The Morning Line, 4/28: No, don't trade Johnny Cueto

In the interest of Getting It Right, The Morning Man is here with an exhaustive replay of all things Weekend. The Good (my practice range slugging), the Bad (a certain postgame radio show) and the Ugly (the weekend that wasnt, in ATL).

Don't touch the knobs, we're gonna have some fun with this one. .

IS IT TIME TO RESUME LAST YEAR'S DEBATE? The Man posited that for The Club to be the best, it had to beat the best. That drew derision from many sides. Wins are wins. Really? How's that playoff record looking?

Against teams currently with winning records, the Reds are 3-9. Against losers, 8-5.

This would seem to indicate that The Club is no better than average. Of course, there are injuries. (Of course, the Braves had been missing three starting pitchers until the last few days; now, they're just out 2 starters... for the rest of the freaking year. But we live in an injury cocoon around here.) And surely, once the Latos-Chapman-Schumaker cavalry comes, all will be made right.

But for now, this is a team not as good as last year. Which shouldnt be a surprise, given it's the same team, minus an all-star leadoff hitter.

If you're standing still, you're falling behind. Milwaukee added pitching pieces. Looie added two everyday players. The Reds added Skip Schumacher. MPWS are in the same, do-nothing boat, and not coincidentally, are floundering as well. Which brings us to. ..

POSTGAME RADIO... I'm very rarely one to take on my fellow heathens in Media World. I got enough problems without making more enemies on purpose. But, you know, the postgame guys Sunday suggested now would be a fabulous time to deal J, Cueto for a bat.

Ah, c'mon.

Their reasoning was, the Club needs a shakeup, "before it's too late.''

Fellas, it's April.

Ignoring the very real possibility that there is no available hitter out there worth dealing Cueto for, the guys plowed on.

Look, I know the sports talk drill. I did it myself a couple years. Slow day, say something outrageous, fill with phone calls. Rinse and repeat.

Given that one of the hosts was a former Reds assistant GM, it was all the more shocking. Maybe shocking was the point.

But baseball is so fluid. If the Reds had gone to ATL and won two of three, instead of getting swept, would Trade Cueto have come up? If they'd managed to win yesterday, and finish the roadie 6-4, would it have come up?